Live updates, NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400: Kevin Harvick dominates race in win

NASCAR is packing in four races across its three series in two days in the Midwest. Starting Friday evening, the Truck Series kicked off the marathon racing weekend at Michigan International Speedway with an overtime win by Zane Smith.

On Saturday, Austin Cindric won the Xfinity Series’ Road America Race near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin following multiple lightning strikes that forced an hour and a half red flag. The end of the race led right into the first of two Cup Series races at Michigan, causing NASCAR to delay the start of its Saturday Cup race by 45 minutes later than originally scheduled.

Race coverage was scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. on NBCSN, but was delayed to 5 p.m. for the finish of the Xfinity race. Kevin Harvick or Denny Hamlin, who have dominated the series this season, are two favorites to win at Michigan. Joey Logano is starting on the pole. More pre-race reading for NASCAR’s FireKeepers Casino 400 can be found here.

Refresh this page for the latest lap-by-lap updates from Michigan. Full results will be published here shortly after the race.

Final: Harvick wins

He obviously had the best car all day and after a few restarts late, Kevin Harvick was able to pull ahead each time and win the race.

7:25 p.m., Lap 152, Cars stopped with 4 to go

In a caution, with NASCAR out cleaning the track, the cars are stopped. They will restart with three laps to go and Harvick still in the lead, followed by Elliott, Hamlin, Blaney and Wallace.

7:05 p.m., Lap 137, Harvick still out front

With a late caution, Harvick is still in the lead. Kyle Bush is having one of his best races of the season and is running second. Expect him to drive hard to try and get a win and the automatic bid into the playoffs. Truex Jr. is third, Jones fourth and Elliott fifth.

6:08 p.m., Lap 85, Harvick wins second stage

Harvick won the second stage, followed by Blaney, Hamlin, Jones and Keselowski.

5:52 p.m., Lap 59: Jones-Harvick battle for second

On Lap 57, Jones passes Harvick for second place behind Blaney, but Harvick passes him again. They jockey for the P2 spot, but Harvick is able to pull away. Hamlin and Keselowski run in the top-five as well. There’s been a lot of movement in the top of the running order so far.

5:47 p.m., Lap 47: Choose rule implemented, running order gets a shake-up

The race goes green on Lap 47 after drivers make their land decisions. Bubba Wallace has raced his way into seventh place. Meanwhile, Truex Jr. is still stuck a lap down after an earlier tire issue. Tyler Reddick decided not pit earlier and takes the wave around.

Hamlin gets the lead off pit road after the stage, but drops to fourth after Blaney makes a pass to first get to first place. Harvick and Kurt Busch follow.

5:33 p.m., Lap 40: Harvick clinches Stage 1 win

The No. 4 driver gets the stage win ahead of Hamlin, then Blaney in the top-three. The rest of the order is Ku. Busch, Keselowski, Jones, Bowman, Elliott, Ky. Busch, Stenhouse Jr. in the top-10 for points. This is Harvick’s thi stage win, and his 23rd playoff point of the season. Hamlin has 29 playoff points.

5:30 p.m., Lap 36: Stage 1 winding down, Ryan Blaney “hauling ass”

The No. 12 car of Ryan Blaney got four fresh tires just before the competition caution, which has propelled him into the top-three. He’s still running almost three seconds behind leaders Harvick and Hamlin, but Hamlin’s spotter Chris Lambert tells says on his team radio that the “12 is hauling ass!”

5:22 p.m., Lap 23: Harvick, Hamlin to the lead. Shocker.

Kevin Harvick takes the inside lane as Hamlin runs high in the lead. Harvick moves into P1. Martin Truex Jr. has a front tire issue and the No. 19 driver pits under green just before Harvick makes his pass. Johnson also took the inside lane at the choose mark and has raced into 14th.

5:15 p.m., Lap 18: Competition caution

Pole-sitter Joey Logano leads the field at the green flag, and holds his spot until Denny Hamlin, starting second, chases him down and exchanges the lead before the caution comes out on Lap 15. Logano, however, gets the lead before the call and is in first by Lap 18. Jimmie Johnson, who was sent to the rear at the start, has raced his way into 20th place.

4:45 p.m.: Drivers to cars, pre-race ceremonies

At Michigan International Speedway, drivers head to the grid as the Xfinity Series wraps its Road America race. Late-lap cautions force a longer stalled start of the broadcast. There are still four laps left in the race as pre-race ceremonies begin at Michigan.

3:17 p.m.: Xfinity runs long, new start time for Cup Series race

NASCAR announces it will push the start of its Cup race at Michigan International Speedway and will adjust the race and broadcast schedule on NBCSN. Cup drivers will be called to their cars at 4:40 p.m. The invocation and anthem will take place at 4:45 p.m. and the green flag will fly at 5:02 p.m.

3 p.m.: Inspection failures and fines for multiple teams

Before Saturday’s Cup race, NASCAR issued heavy penalties to the two Roush Fenway Racing teams of Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher for not using the spoilers as supplied by Ford on their respective No. 6 and No. 17 cars: A loss of 20 owner and driver points, a $25,000 fine, and a requirement that both teams start at the rear for today’s race. Neither team was necessarily in contention for a postseason berth by points (Newman is ranked 26th, while Buescher is 21st), but this further hinders their chance to make it to the playoffs on points.

In addition to Newman and Buescher, Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team and Joey Gase’s No. 7 team also failed pre-race technical inspection twice, and will start at the rear of the field for the race. Johnson was previously slated to start 17th. The struggles continue for the seven-time Cup champion in his retirement year.

This story was originally published August 8, 2020 at 5:09 PM.